Thomas j



(No Model.)

.T. J. LE COUNT.

FOLDING CHAIR.

No. 473,704. Patented Apr. 26, 1892.

thvrrEn STATES PATENT @EErcE.

THOMAS J. LE COUNT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FOLDING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,704, dated April 26, 1892.

Application filed June 10, 1891. Serial No. 395,790. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. LE COUNT, a native-born citizen of the United States, residing at NewYork, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Chairs; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in folding chairs; and it consists, first, in providing such a chair with a revolving rear round or rod provided with a shelf or support'and said rod secured at its ends to folding connecting-braces, whereby by the folding and unfolding of the chair the round or rod is revolved and the support or shelf raised and lowered; and it also consists in providing a removable return drip-pan on the under surface of its seat portion, whereby the carpet is protected from injury, and the pan can be readily removed when it is desired to cleanse the same, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of myimproved chair, showing the same in an unfolded condition. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing the chair folded. Fig. 3 is a front view of the chair-in a folded condition, showing very clearly the vessel-support, means of adjustably securing the drip-pan to the bottom of the chair, and the spring sliding bolt; and Fig. 4: is a section in detail of the spring sliding bolt.

Ain the drawings represents the chair, which may be either a nursery-chair or a steamboat or other folding chair. WVhen used as an invalid or nursery chair, the seat B of the same would be provided with an opening 0. The chair is provided with front legsD D and rear legs D D, the former extending up ashort distance above the upper surface of the seat and the latter extending upward a considerable greater distance to form a support for the back cross-piecesa a and also for the short side arms I) b. The side arms I) b are pivoted at one of their ends to the top portion of the front legs and at their other ends are pivoted to the rear legs on about a line with the top of the front legs, when the chair is in a complete open condition. 0 c are long side bracepieces which connect the front and rear legs and are pivoted to the front legs by pins and to the rear legs by a revolving rod H. The seat B is provided on its under side at its front and rear ends with downwardlyextending projections or lugs 65, through which pivot-pins cl are passed to permit the seat, upper arm cross-braces,lower braces, and the front legs to be moved intoaclosed or opened position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It will be observed by passing the pivots through the projections or lugs a considerable distance below the bottom portion or seat and through the front and rear legs the chair can be folded with its bottom or seat standing inclined downward andbackwardly and its front and hind legs standing parallel and nearly touching one another, and when the chair is unfolded the seat will be nearly horizontal and its front and hind legs be spread farther apart at their lower ends and at the point where the lower brace is attached than at the point where the upper brace is attached, thereby giving a very wide and firm base-support to the chair, and when the chair is folded the preponderance of weight of the seat portion above the pivoted connections being backward the chair is kept folded without the necessity of locking up the seat portion. The front legs are connected and strengthened by ordinary chair-rounds C1 The rear legs are connected by a revolving round or rod 11, which passes loosely through the same, to the outer ends of which revolving round or rod the long braces c c are connected at their rear ends and pivoted to the front legs at their front ends, wherebyby folding and unfolding the chair the rear round or rod will be revolved, for the purpose hereinafter described. On the under side of the seat and around the forward end-of the periphery of the opening 0 a segmental concave drip return-pan E is removably secured to the same by means of open-end slots cut in the outer edge of the pan, which are adapted to slip beneath the head of nails or other suitable fastenings, while at about the center of the width of the pan and on its outer forward edge a hole is made which passes over the head-of .a nail, and between the head of this nail and the under surface of the pan the slotted head f drawn out and held by the fingers until the passage and recess have ceased to coincide by reason of the chair being folded together and then released, and on lowering the chair to an open position the spring-bolt will automatically slide into the recess in the leg D. as soon as the recess and passage coincide, and thus prevent the further descent of the chair and hold it locked in that position and also preventing the return of the chair to a folded condition without the bolt being withdrawn.

G is a shelf or support attached to the revolving brace-rod in such a manner as to be raised and lowered as the chair is folded and unfolded. WVhen the chair is not to be used as a nursery or invalid chair, but as an ordinary folding chair for theaters and other places of amusement, it would not be provided with the central passage 0 in its seat, and the support or shelfG would form avery convenient rest or receptacle fora hat or cane.

When the chair is constructed for the use of a child, it will be supplied with a strap I, attached to the upper ends of the front legs D D to prevent him from falling out of the chair when left for a short time. The chair will also be found very useful in sick-rooms, as it can be used with great convenience, and by having the return drip-pan removable can be kept free from annoying odors. The chair is very simple in construction and operation, and can be made at slight cost.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a folding chair, the combination of the seat having a central opening, the removable concave segmental returned drip-pan closed at one end and open at the other and applied beneath the seat around the forward end of the central opening by means of openend slots in the outer edge of the pan, and headed fastening-pins applied on the under side of the seat, and the pivoted locking-hook F for locking the pan in position, substantially as described.

2. In a folding chair, the combination, with the seat, legs, and pivoted connecting-braces, of the single revolving brace-rod H, extending the entire Width between the rear legs and forming a cross strengthening-brace be tween the rear legs, and the support G, rig idly secured to the said brace-rod and adapted by the turning of the rod to be swung up and down as the chair is folded and unfolded and when down forming a support which is open at the front for the insertion of any article desired to be placed on the support, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. LE COUNT.

WVitnesses:

CHARLES E. ALLIsoN, JAMES L. CRAFT. 

